British Psychological Society says ‘E-cigarettes should be promoted as a method of stopping smoking’

The report, by Lynne Dawkins and Hayden McRobbie, is a new briefing that aims to provide guidance and education to those involved with smoking cessation and it follows the recent inclusion of e-cigarettes in the Stoptober campaign.

Dr Lynne Dawkins, Associate Professor at London South Bank University and co-author of the report said:

“For smokers trying to quit, e-cigarettes are more attractive than traditional smoking cessation methods, such as nicotine replacement therapy, and at least as effective. There is also mounting evidence that they are much safer than tobacco smoking. As a consumer product, although most Stop Smoking Services are not currently able to supply these, we recommend that they endorse them and support their use by smokers trying to quit.”

In response to the report Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy at Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said:

We welcome this report setting out the role e-cigarettes can play in reducing the harm from smoking. Many smokers have found e-cigarettes helpful in quitting but confusion persists among some about the relative safety of vaping compared to smoking. 2.9 million adults in England currently use electronic cigarettes, over half have already quit smoking and many of the rest are actively seeking to do so. Evidence shows that the most effective way to quit smoking is through a combination of professional face to face support and stop smoking aids. What health professionals tell smokers about e-cigarettes is important to ensure that smokers have an accurate view of what switching to vaping might mean. It is hoped that if smokers are better informed this will help more to successfully quit tobacco for good.